Hypersomnia is characterized by episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. It typically affects adolescents and young adults. While it is possible to be genetically predisposed to having hypersomnia, for some, there is no known cause. Those suffering with hypersomnia feel an overwhelming need to nap repeatedly during the day, and this can occur at inappropriate times, such as at work, during a meal or while engaging in conversation. Napping usually provides little to no relief.
Those with this type of sleep disorder usually have abnormal difficulty waking from a long sleep, and often feel disoriented. Symptoms such as increased irritability and anxiety, lack of energy, restlessness, slow thinking and speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations and problems with memory can occur. The person may lose the ability to function normally in family, social, work or other situations.
Hypersomnia may be caused by other sleep disorders, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, drug or alcohol abuse or from physical problems, such as head trauma or injury to the central nervous system. Certain medications, or withdrawal from them, may also cause this sleep disorder. Other possible contributing factors include certain medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, depression, encephalitis, epilepsy or obesity.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition in which breathing stops for periods of up to two minutes, many times each night. It is usually accompanied by loud snoring. Sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, stroke and heart attack. Those with this condition may have a history of loud snoring, obesity or deformities of the nasal or oral passages that obstruct the airway.
Diagnosing sleep apnea requires a physician’s examination. If the cause is a physical obstruction, surgery may be indicated. The doctor may recommend studying the individual in a sleep lab. There, the person can be monitored while at rest to measure periods of nonbreathing. Treatment of this condition may include losing weight or wearing a mask at night that forces air into the nasal passages.
Narcolepsy affects approximately 250,000 Americans. Those with his condition have frequent "sleep attacks" throughout the day, despite having had a good night's sleep. These attacks can last from several seconds to more than 30 minutes and can occur anywhere at any time. It is thought that narcolepsy is a disorder of sleep regulation, as the symptoms are similar in nature to periods of REM sleep that appear during waking. Once a diagnosis of narcolepsy is made, drugs can help control and prevent embarrassing and dangerous effects of falling asleep at inappropriate times.
Restless Legs Syndrome creates uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations described as crawling, itching, prickling or tingling in the legs and feet, bringing with it an irresistible desire to move them for relief. Sensations typically occur during times of inactivity and are often worse in the evening or at night. Involuntary jerking of the legs or your arms either while sleeping or while awake may also occur. RLS can develop at any age, but is most widely experienced by those older than 60 and may be related to other medical conditions such as anemia, pregnancy or diabetes. Many individuals with RLS also have a disorder known as Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. PLMD causes repetitive jerking movements of the limbs, especially the legs, occurring about 20-40 seconds or so, causing ongoing interruption of sleep. Although RLS and PLMD are not associated with Parkinson's disease, the same drugs that are used to treat Parkinson's can often relieve these disorders.
Next week: Tips for getting a better nights sleep.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services LLC. Call her at (937) 878-9018 or email marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her website is at www.ohtrainer.com.
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